Typical hockey elbow pads are usually a one piece padding element which is made of a combination of foamy absorbing material surrounding and cupping the exterior area of the elbow joints and the adjacent areas above and below the elbow joints, sometimes complemented with a rigid shell cap positioned over the foamy absorbing material directly above the elbow point. The elbow pad is held in place by a pair of elastic bands above and below the elbow joint sewn or otherwise connected to the padding element which closes the elbow pad over the upper arm and the forearm leaving the inside of the elbow joint free to flex as well as marginally exposed to blows.
Elbow pads come in a variety of sizes to accommodate players of different sizes and shapes. Elbow pads are designed to protect the gap between the protective glove, which covers the hand, the wrist and the lower forearm of the player, and the shoulder pad, which covers the chest, the shoulder and upper part of the biceps region of the arm. This gap varies with the sizes and shapes of the neighboring protective equipment and with the sizes and shapes of players.
Young players in their years of growth go through many sizes of protective equipment as they grow in sizes and as their protective equipment wears out. As the young player grows the gap between the protective glove and the upper arm protector of the shoulder pad increases rapidly, leaving portions of the arm unprotected. The elbow pad that was adequately covering the elbow area a year earlier, now leaves a portion of the arm unprotected and must be replaced. The elbow pad may still be in good condition but must be replaced as it no longer adequately protects the elbow area of the growing player.
The shoulder pad and the protective gloves may also be in good condition but often, young players or their parents will renew the entire protective equipment at the same time, thinking their child has outgrown it, adding substantial cost to the replacement of protective equipment of a growing player over the years.
Furthermore, players are likely to develop preferences in the design and shape of their protective gloves. Protective gloves are especially susceptible to changes in design preferences by players. Some players will prefer a protective glove that covers only a small portion of the lower forearm because it affords more freedom to the wrist. Others will feel more comfortable with a higher protective glove that covers a substantial part of the lower forearm. Most often, when a player wishes to change size and/or design characteristics of the protective gloves, he or she must consider the protection of the general elbow area as well, and often may have to replace the elbow pads to properly cover the new gap defined between the new protective gloves. For example, when new protective gloves are purchased that present a shorter wrist cuff and lower forearm protector, the elbow pads may no longer properly protect the forearms and should be replaced to accommodate the new gap defined by the new protective gloves. This also adds to the replacement cost of the protective gloves.
Thus, there is a need in the sports industry for an elbow pad capable of being used in conjunction with a variety of protective gloves of different sizes and various design characteristics while adequately protecting the elbow and forearm of the player.